A fast and smooth bike for group riding and lightweight touring when the British weather is less than perfect. Which is most of the time, if we’re honest.

Some people say mudguards ruin the look of a bike. Challenge Accepted. Making them an integral part of the design was very important, as they were a permanent fixture of the bike.

Of course, running mudguards keeps spray and dirt out of your riding companions' eyes, so they can admire your bike unhindered. Vain? Moi?

Details

The frame is fillet brazed from Columbus Zona matched to a Columbus Hiver fork. The stainless steel rear dropouts come from Llewellyn, with the clamping surfaces polished and masked during spraying. This prevents the ugly scoring of the paint finish you can get from the clamping process.

The mudguards partly dictated the paint scheme, as does your hopes for a day's winter riding. The dark, a touch of early frost on the fields, blue sky.